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Yesterday at the UN, the possibility of a Universal Declaration on the Rights of Mother Earth was discussed. It seemed to me to be the natural other side of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. As the President of Bolivia opined - Mother Earth can exist with Man; Man without Mother Earth is Nothing...

What was interesting was to hear someone who is the President of a Nation so naturally concerned and supportive of the Earth as he is one of the first Presidents who is an Indigenous person of his country. It reminded of my days in the UN working at community level in many countries and marvelling at the closeness of those communities whom we call impoverished, poor, their close relationship with the earth was beautiful.

Yesterday's event at the UN in celebration of Earth Day, reminded me of a poem I wrote in 2007 in reaction to a picture/artwork of Gaia - The Agony of Gaia - by Kentucky artist Jeff Chapman-Crane originating from the Greek, "Gaia" is the personification of Mother Earth. It also showed me how distant from Mother Earth I am viz the theme of the poem...it is time for me to regroup and write another.

Here it is:

Mother Earth Feels Our Pain :

Mother Earth Abused (c)

If only you could see her and feel her painShe is totally and unequivocably abusedIn intense pain and agonyShe is lying on her side in a foetal positionHead resting on a moss-covered rock also slowly disintegratingWondering, wondering, wondering...She used to be fully clothedShe is now half clothed - hardly any covering, hardly any jewelryTears flow from her eyesBefore they were tears of joyMeandering gently around the globeNow they are tears of woe , agony imbedded in the tears,Lots of water rushing and flowing, on the one handGlaciers melting, floods accumulating, mountains deforestedOn the other, not enough to dissipate drought and desertificationAround her is debris and rubbleThe foundation on which she lies slowly disintegratingDisappearing, so disturbing to grasp thatThis is the work of ManThis is how Man treats his MotherMother Earth